Rep. Steve Holland Previews Upcoming Legislative Session

TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI)- Mississippi lawmakers are preparing for the 2019 legislative session.

In part one of a two part series, we talk with a longtime Democratic representative who tells us what he sees as the key issues facing legislators.

As he gets ready for his 36th session, Democrat Representative Steve Holland knows there will be differences with Republican lawmakers, but he doesn’t believe things will get nasty.

“I don’t think it will be that contentious a session, budget, no matter what year it is, no matter if it’s an election year, always commands the bulk of our time,” Holland said.

Holland believes a pay hike for teachers will be at the top of the agenda, but he also hopes state employees will see bigger paychecks.

“State employees are on about their ninth year without a pay raise, that is just horrific, they need to be included too if we have that kind of extra money, the economy is looking pretty good,” he said.

Representative Holland will also support efforts to change a law that has kept electric cooperatives from offering high speed internet service to rural areas.

In fact, the state association of electric cooperatives has presented the Mississippi Broadband Enabling Act to legislators.

That proposed law would allow co ops to offer broadband service to rural customers.

Holland says the proposal has support from both sides of the political aisle.

“I cannot imagine anybody’s opposition, except the big large stock held companies who feel like this is a threat to their profitability, truth be told they’ve never gone to rural Mississippi anyway, the proof is in the pudding, so I think it’s an issue whose time is long overdue and I’m going to be very hawkish on that, I can tell you,” Holland said.

Lawmakers start the new session January 8th.